Shoe-plate



No. 28,194. PATENTED MAY 8', 1860.

T. W. PORTER.

SHOE PLATE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

T. \V. PORTER, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

SHOE-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,194, dated May 8, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. PORTER, of Bangor, in the county ofPenobscot and State of Maine, have invented a new and improved plate orcork for protecting the bottoms of the soles and heels of boots andshoes from wear and also for protecting the wearers thereof fromslipping; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsand to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in an improved metallic concaveplate or cork to be applied to the bottoms of boots and shoes to protectthem from wear and to protect the wearers thereof from slipping;

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the plate or cork.Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same.

The plates may be made of any suitable material, but I prefer cast iron.They may be made of any desired size but I prefer them from one half tothree fourths of an inch in diameter and from one eighth to one fourthof an inch in thickness at the outside edge,as shown at e 6 Figs. 1 and2. I make my plates or corks with a circular knife like rim or hearing,as shown at e 6 Figs. 1 and 2, and with a recess or concavity, as shownat c c, Fig. 1 and c Fig. 2. I fasten the plate to the boot or shoe bymeans of a screw (inserted in the hole through the plate, which is shownat a Figs. 1 and 2) in combination with the projections or points on theback of the plate as shown at i i Fig. 2, which points enter the leatherand keep the plate from revolving and becoming loose. These plates orcorks may be placed upon the bottoms of boots and shoes at variousdistances from each other according to the severity of wear to which theboot or shoe is to be subjected, but there should be at least three uponeach heel and at least three rows lengthwise upon the sole.

Among the advantages of my improved cork or plate are its cheapness anddurability, its adaptability to any size or form of boot or shoe, theeflicient protection it afiords thereto, while above all it is a perfectprotection from slipping even on the smoothest ice, while by itspeculiar form its bearings in all cases cross the fiber of the wood andprevent its injuring floors and carpets, and it is the only creeper thatcan be permanently worn without doing injury.

I claim as my invention- The concave plate or cork as hereinbeforedescribed.

T. W. PORTER.

Witnesses P. C. PORTER, A. L. SIMPSON.

